The world as it is
by PyromaniacBlackWings
Summary: What if things went differently? What if Athrun Zala had a friend? What if that friend is put in peril? With Kira out of action, Harry in peril and Lacus getting closer to commiting treason, Athrun is on the ropes. But who's this old enemy of Harrys? AxHP


**Authors note: I'm pretty ill so if this has any grammar or spelling issues, I'm sorreh and tell me, I'll change it. X.x' My brain hurts. . Fucking watched a disgusting video which I wish I had never watched. . 3 guys, 1 hammer -shudder- Perhaps the scene should not be written but still ...**

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_**As the cries of battle faded all that was left was a kind of aching sorrow as families sobbed over the dead and dying. In the middle it all, one man looked around with green eyes plagued with sorrow, he looked down at his bloody hands and his eyes filled with tears. He fell suddenly, his eyes sliding closed as he caught himself on his fists. The silky wet of blood made him cough as it crawled up his throat, dripping slowly onto his black shirt, his hand trembling as one of them held his throat, trying hold off the blood which covered him, the other clutching a wound on his chest, the multitude of slice marks looking like branches as they covered his stomach. They would heal but leave an almost beautiful scar that looked as complicated as a snowflake, the white lines would fade to a slight deviation from skin colour. **_

_**Harry Potter stumbled up, slipping slightly on a patch of blood that covered the once brilliant green grass, he forced himself to his feet, half gasping as the wounds on his body, for there were many of them, throbbed in unison leaving an aching fire of pain across his body. He stood again, eyes half lidded, he turned and…**_

"**Wake up! Harry! Wake UP!" A voice called, hitting him lightly over the head with something that felt suspiciously like a book. Harry jerked up, eyes snapped open and a hand reaching out to rub his eyes tiredly. He mumbled something and rolled out of bed, eyes still closed as he fought to stay awake. Winning the battle, he opened his eyes and yawned, looking up to his smirking blue-black haired friend. Athrun Zala looked down at him with a raised eyebrow, holding a newspaper loosely in his hand. "You were having a nightmare again.." Athrun said, handing Harry his uniform.**

"'**kay" Harry mumbled, pulling off his nightshirt and throwing it in the general direction of his bed, replacing it with the smooth white undershirt of his uniform and then sliding on the red jacket which fell to his knees and then, as Athrun turned away respectfully, he changed his boxers and pulling up the red trousers, he secured the belt around his waist and perched on the bed to pull up his white boots. He sighed and Athrun turned back around handing him a brush, **

**Harry grinned at him and began to lightly brush the lengthy black locks, his hair fell to his mid back and was up in a pony tail, the fringe, which was usually out of the way, was allowed to fall over his pure green eyes. "Sorry about waking you up, Athrun." Harry said, looking pointedly over at Athrun's bed. Harry pulled the covers back over his bed and perched on it, trying to get his bearings as his tired body woke.**

"**It's alright." Athrun said, his expression pulled up into a half-smile. Harry studied him quietly before grabbing his friends arm and pulling him to sit down. Harry raised an eyebrow and Athrun's half smile fell, his eyes flickering downwards as he pulled his leg up to his chest, hugging it to his body in a small gesture of comfort. Harry sat in silence, allowing Athrun to pull his thoughts together. "I told you didn't I? About Kira."**

"**Yeah. Your friend right?" Harry said softly in reply, keeping his face gentle and supportive. "You told me you'd met him again and that he fought in the Strike."**

"**I..I met him again. He killed Nicol a-and then I killed his friend. We fought and.." Athrun fell silent, his eyes filling with tears, the crystalline droplets spilling down his cheeks as he buried his face in his hands. Harry moved towards him, his arms winding around Athrun's shoulders and pulling the younger boy towards him as he soothed him. **

**Athrun released his sorrow in near silent sobs, his head buried into Harry's shoulder. Harry just sat there with his friend comforting him, lightly touching the back of his head, Harry lifted his eyes as the door slid open and Harry glared at the soldier, who whimpered and disappeared, the door sliding shut nearly silently. "It's like we were being forced to hate each other, I didn't want to hate Kira but I had no choice and I-I killed him." A loud sob. "Oh god. I killed him. Kira's dead and it's all my fault." Athrun didn't cry, his arms falling lax and Harry slid backwards, releasing him and watched Athrun carefully.**

"**Athrun." Harry said gently, causing the blue haired man to look at him with desperate green eyes, his entire body shaking slightly in shock. "Athrun, listen to me. I don't know what happened but I'm sure your friend, coordinator or not, wouldn't go down easily. Did you see a body?" Harry murmured, trying to be gentle. Athrun shook his head hollowly and Harry smiled at him. "So it isn't clear if he's really dead and even if he is, I'm sure he wouldn't blame you, you're friends right?"**

"**Y-yeah." Athrun said shakily, getting himself under control, even as the memory of the battle flickered before his eyes, images blurring over one another.**

*******

_**They clashed, eyes mad with fury at the loss of their friends. It was a sad truth that two people who had been the best of friends were now driven to hatred by a war which shouldn't have reached them, a war which shouldn't have started. The deaths and the pain, raw and new, kept forcing itself to replay over and over again, driving their anger to greater heights.**_

_**---**_

_**The Aegis was trapping the Strike, Athrun quickly typed in the code and escaped, his eyes catching Kira's wide purple ones for the last second before the machine beeped and Athrun was kicked away, his body flying like a rag doll as it hit the ground, where Athrun lay, aching. Athrun dimly noticed Kira had disappeared further into the island, either that or his body had been blown into pieces.**_

'_**I'm sorry Kira, Nicol.' Athrun thought to himself as his consciousness faded and Athrun, who thought he was dying, gladly slid into that painless place**_

_*******_

"_**One guy's killed for killing another and then that guy's killed for killing him. How is that kind of twisted thinking ever going to bring us peace? Well?" **_**Cagalli's voice echoed distantly inside Athrun's head and he shuddered softly.**

"**Athrun.. Why don't-" Harry was cut off as someone ran in, eyes wide. Athrun looked up, falling back into the soldier persona which helped him stay sane after killing so many human beings, his expression falling away as he stood. The person came in, gasping slightly from the apparent run.**

"**Athrun, your father wants to see you." The soldier gasped out, looking exhausted. Athrun nodded and the soldier scurried off to go back to his duties. Athrun took a second to straighten out his clothes before he looked at Harry with a grim face and Harry just nodded, allowing the blue haired pilot to disappear out of the door to see his father. Harry fell onto the bed with a sigh, putting his head in his hands, wondering when Athrun was going to stand up to his father and make his own choices.**

**-----**

**The sunlight slid inside the young man's eyelids, prying them apart and waking the nerve endings which became alight with the pain of his wounds. Dimly, his pain-drunk senses heard a soft thud and then silence for a moment before a voice was lightly chiding whatever had settled onto his bed. Kira Yamato opened his eyes drowsily and looked up at Lacus Clyne, who was smiling as she usually did.**

"**Well hello there sleepy head. You're awake!" She smiled down at him, a pink Haro in her hands, which bleeped loudly, repeating its name a few times.**


End file.
